Well, so far I have a couple of rods but I am just startiing out (2yrs.) I have an older Sage 7136-4 and a new 8150-4. The 8wt has much more authority with a Windcutter 7/8/9, but the 7wt casts like a dream with a Wulff 7/8 DT. The distinction is so different that I would say the 7wt is a trout rod and the 8wt is a true salmon rod. I wish we had more salmon activity here on the East coast - short of Canada there isn't much salmon activity except for a brief run in May.......in New England

I love the fluid motion of the long rods although I am still in a steep learning mode - we are trying to figure out some way to fish the salt effectively with a two hander.